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England footballers Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill have announced their retirement from international football in other to allow manager, Gareth Southgate to bring younger players in.

In a statement to the Guardian, Vardy said: 'This has been on my mind for a while. I'm not getting any younger and you can see, to be fair to the gaffer, he wants to make it more youthful, which obviously had its benefits during the World Cup.

'So I just said to Gareth that I think it's probably best from now on, especially with the way he wants to go, to bring youngsters in who he thinks have got the ability and start nurturing them into international football.'
 

Cahill annonced his own retirement in a wide-ranging interview on the club's official app, The 5th Stand, saying: 'I think it's time that I take a step back now. It's the right moment to do that. 

'I've been hugely proud of what I've achieved, over 60 caps, I've captained my country on a few occasions, which has been a huge honour and something I've been really proud of.

At the same time, in your football career, you never want to shut a door completely, I've been hugely honoured to play for my country and if I'm ever needed, I'm there.' 

Leicester City striker Vardy, 31 made his England debut against the Republic of Ireland in June 2015 won 26 international caps and scored 7 goals for his country, while Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, 32, won 61 caps for England since making his debut against Bulgaria in September 2010, scoring five goals.